In recent years, a variable resistance nonvolatile memory element has been proposed which includes, as a memory material, a variable resistance material comprising a transition metal oxide which includes less oxygen (non-stoichiometric) than a transition metal oxide having a stoichiometric composition. Such a nonvolatile storage element includes: an upper electrode layer; a lower electrode layer; and a variable resistance layer disposed between the upper electrode layer and the lower electrode layer. The variable resistance layer has a resistance value that reversibly changes in response to an electric pulse applied between the upper electrode layer and the lower electrode layer. Therefore, it is possible to store information so as not to be volatilized, by setting the information to correspond to the resistance value (see Patent Literature 1, for example). With such a variable resistance nonvolatile memory element, there has been expectation for further progress in miniaturization, operation speed, and power consumption, compared to a flash memory in which a floating gate is used.